


Interlude

by Mina Lightstar (ukefied)



Category: Gintama
Genre: M/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:50:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1565282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukefied/pseuds/Mina%20Lightstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zura and Gin take shelter from a storm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written/posted 2005/06 or so.

****

It's the first real inn they've been to in weeks. They think it's an illusion, and they've been so deep in battle that, for a moment, Katsura thinks that perhaps the battle is not over, the amanto are still behind them -- chasing -- the storm is so loud, would they hear -- of course they would, they --

"Zura."

"Katsura," the correction is automatic, and he can tell Gintoki is reassured by the response.

"Let's go," Gintoki says, jerking his head in the direction of the door. Sakamoto and Takasugi are already inside.

The innkeeper is as gloomy as the inn itself, but their coin makes his evening and they have their pick of rooms. They pair off and choose strategic rooms -- they have to be able to escape, to fight back, at all costs.

Something changes when Gintoki slides their door shut. Katsura snaps out of something, but he doesn't know what that something was.

"You're soaked," Gintoki tells him.

"A most impressive observation," Katsura commends him. "It must have been from all that  _rain_." He shivers, and hates it -- even samurai are defenseless against the weather. "I'm sure you're drenched, too."

He hears the wet "plop" of soaked clothing dropping to floorboards, and then Gintoki's hands are on his shoulders. Katsura doesn't resist as he is turned around, and he watches without protest as his silver-haired companion rids him of his haori before moving on to the rest of his clothing.

Lightning illuminates their room, and in the white light, Gintoki looks every bit the demon he is in battle.

Katsura turns away, fingers gathering his hair and pulling the long locks over one shoulder so he can try to comb through the wet tangles. It's going to be an impossible task. He sighs, thinks,  _Maybe I should cut it._  What use is long hair to a samurai in the middle of a war?

He knows Gintoki is at his back before he feels cold lips on his shoulder. "We should leave at first light," he says.

"First light comes in seven hours, Zura."

" _Katsura._ " He sets about preparing a futon for them. "Sakamoto needs all the rest he can get, at any rate. I wish we could stay longer."

"He'll be fine," Gintoki says. "He just needs a couple of hours to sleep off the fever." He joins Katsura under the covers and they get warm together.

Thunder rolls across the sky in waves. Katsura can't sleep, which is unfair. Sleep is one of their strongest allies.

"Your hair is going to soak the bedding," Gintoki murmurs.

Katsura rolls away from him, onto his stomach, with his face turned away from Gintoki. "I should cut it."

"I think I'd miss it," Gintoki says, unexpectedly. He inches closer and says, "Look at me?"

Katsura turns his head so that he's facing Gintoki, just as another flash of lighting rips through the clouds. The silver-haired samurai brushes Katsura's damp hair off his back; it becomes a trail of darkness that leads from Katsura's head to the floor. "Why are we talking about my hair when--?"

"I don't know," Gintoki interrupts simply. He leans over just as Katsura props himself up to meet the other halfway.

Katsura doesn't know why they're doing  _this_  instead of taking advantage of seven hours of sleep, either.

Or maybe he does know.

Gintoki gives him his first wounds of the week: A trail of purplish-red marks leading up his inner thighs. His hair is still damp -- still wetting the pillow a bit, even though they've fanned it out over onto the floor above them -- but he doesn't care.

The thunder swallows their cries; the lightning reveals Gintoki's shaking body -- the one Katsura is  _feeling_ , clawing at.

They don't bother cleaning up. Gintoki just pulls the blankets back over them makes a quiet noise when Katsura scratches his back again, just because, just to make sure Gintoki's still  _there_  because on these nights, Katsura feels like he's living in a dream.

"First light comes early," Gintoki whispers into his ear. Katsura shudders; Gintoki's breath is hot.

_Too early._

 

 

+end+

 

 


End file.
